Body of 55-year-old Fort Myers Beach man recovered in Matanzas Pass
The body of a 55-year-old Fort Myers Beach man was recovered at 2:30 Tuesday morning after he fell into the water and disappeared beneath the surface off Mantanzas Pass.
The Fort Myers Beach man, whose name will not be released until a next-of-kin is contacted, was reported to be “socializing and drinking with two friends on a 31-foot tri-catamaran last night in Matanzas Pass, when the now-deceased stepped off the boat to get onto an 8-foot dingy to go to his boat, lost his balance, which caused the dingy to fill with water, resulting in him going overboard. He fell into the water, disappeared, and his friends lost sight of him, contacting the authorities soon after,” according to Joy Hill, Public Information Coordinator with the Florida Fish and Wildlife, who received the report at 10:30 last night.
He was found by the searchers floating face down at 2:30 this morning. The U.S. Coast Guard, Lee County Sheriff’s Office and local EMS, fire and rescue sources were involved.
As soon as his next of kin is contacted, his name will be released to the public.
As a safety note, Hill is sure to state, “We talk about this all the time. A lot of the accidents we investigate, the people could probably still be alive if they were wearing a life preserver.”